Content uploaded by Amy L. Byrd
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Amy L. Byrd on Jan 29, 2014
Content may be subject to copyright.
A preview of the PDF is not available
Prison Programs and Services for Incarcerated Parents and Their Underage Children: Results From a National Survey of Correctional Facilities
Abstract and Figures
In 2007, approximately 810,000 men and women in state and federal prisons were parents to more than 1.7 million children under the age of 18, one third of whom will turn 18 while their parent(s) is incarcerated. Parental incarceration increases the risk that children will experience later behavioral and emotional problems, have troubles in school, and become involved in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Parenting-related prison programming offers some promise in lessening the negative consequences of parental incarceration, both for children and the incarcerated parent. This study presents the results from a national survey of wardens from male and female correctional facilities to measure the prevalence of programs and services for incarcerated parents and their underage children.
Figures - uploaded by Amy L. Byrd
Author content
All figure content in this area was uploaded by Amy L. Byrd
Content may be subject to copyright.
... Programming also needs to be sensitive to the needs of fathers versus those of mothers and should consider race and ethnic differences in parenting practices (Antunes & Ahlin, 2021). While it has been well established that men and women take different pathways to prison, correctional facilities have not fully identified treatment modalities that best fit the needs of men versus those of women, especially for parents (Hoffmann et al., 2010). While women experiencing incarceration often have greater access to genderinformed treatments and programs, additional work is needed to provide prenatal and parenting programming to fathers and develop curricula that embrace parenting differences between mothers and fathers (see Palkovitz et al., 2014). ...
While there is a growing body of research on parent-child visitation among the general carceral population, less attention has been paid to examining parent-child contact practices among parents with mental health illness diagnoses. The current study uses a sample from the 2016 Survey of Prison Inmates to analyze the associations between mental health illness diagnosis and various modalities of parent-child contact. Multivariate analyses of types of mental health illness diagnoses on six parent-child contact modalities demonstrate heterogeneity where not all mental health diagnoses reduce all parent-child contacts. Furthermore, incarcerated parents with multiple mental health illnesses are less likely to experience most forms of contact including in-person visits, phone calls, and mail.
... Parenting programs are commonplace in carceral institutions (Hoffmann et al., 2010) and the majority do target communication and listening skills; indeed, communication is the most frequent topic along with strengthening relationships with children, caregivers, and other family; and taking responsibility for crimes (Lovell et al., 2020). There are at least six major reviews on evaluated parenting programs in prisons internationally (Armstrong et al., 2018;Loper & Tuerk, 2006;Lovell et al., 2020;Newman et al., 2011;Tremblay & Sutherland, 2017;Troy et al., 2018). ...
Adolescent parents have been the subject of scrutiny for decades, with a great deal of research focused on how these young parents adjust to their new roles. There is one group of adolescent parents about which we know next to nothing, though: incarcerated adolescent parents. To fill this gap, the current study examines whether parental status affects the emotional well-being (e.g., mental health diagnoses and suicidal tendencies) of incarcerated adolescent parents. We also consider whether these effects are gendered. Results suggest that adolescent parents, especially young mothers, have worsened mental health during incarceration. This effect was most pronounced for suicidal tendencies. These results underscore the importance of providing additional supports for young parents within juvenile facilities. Doing so could not only improve the safety and security of these confinement facilities but improve the long-term outcomes of these young parents and their offspring.
This study uses in-depth, qualitative interviews to examine the facilitators/supports and barriers/challenges faced by parents reentering their communities after incarceration. Findings are framed within the context of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework. Parents reentering their communities after incarceration often face a host of challenges related to their reentry experience (e.g. finding housing/employment) and their parenting experience (e.g. navigating familial relationships). Parenting scholars have urged communities to adopt holistic intervention methods at each level of the ecological model—including an individual’s microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem to help families experiencing this trauma thrive. In order to examine which areas within the ecological system families are receiving support (and which areas are still lacking), this study uses qualitative data from 14 semi-structured interviews with parents who recently reentered their communities after incarceration and had a minor child at the time of reentry. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded based on a priori themes. Participants listed both barriers/challenges and facilitators/strengths at reentry that fell into three main categories including 1. Access to children or resources, 2. Social connections, 3. Personal introspection related to parenting. Barriers and supports are described within each level of the ecological model. Findings suggest interventions are needed to buffer, support, and help reentering parents gain parenting skills/knowledge, spend quality time with their children, and access reentry programs to help parents/children develop healthy attachment and promote smoother reintegration into their community. These interventions should be implemented at various levels within the ecological model.
Behavioral parent training (BPT) is a widely recognized intervention for children with disruptive behavioral difficulties. Notably, the efficacy of BPT has been explored across mental health conditions, including externalizing disorders, internalizing disorders, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Although BPT has already been established as an empirically supported treatment for multiple diagnoses and behaviors, it continues to grow in its cultural adequacy and adaptability when used with different populations. The present chapter provides an overview of the current evidence base for BPT as an efficacious treatment for diagnoses and disruptive behaviors commonly present in childhood, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and oppositional and conduct behaviors. In addition, the chapter examines the efficacy of BPT with special populations, including foster families and incarcerated parents. Lastly, the chapter summarizes the efficacy behind cultural adaptations of common BPT programs and provides insight regarding areas of growth for BPT as an intervention.KeywordsBPTADHDASDEfficacyEvidence-basedSpecial populationsCultural adaptations
This study examines the experiences of incarcerated mothers who participate in a faith-based parenting program at a women’s prison in the United States. Thirty-three women participated in four focus groups. Using a grounded theory framework, four major themes emerged from the analysis, including building foundations, guilty mom, on the mend, and opening the lines of communication. Overall, the findings highlight numerous benefits of the program for incarcerated women’s relationships with their children, their ability to reframe the experience of motherhood, and their personal growth. A theoretical model for others who must parent ‘from a distance’ is proposed.
With growing rates of incarceration among women, it is crucial to understand factors associated with reincarceration. Rural incarcerated women have increased risks for strains and drug use. General Strain Theory posits that strains (drug use, psychosocial stressors) are associated with recidivism. Women experience as much, or more strain than men. The present secondary analysis examined intravenous drug use (IDU) and psychosocial factors (partner status, employment status, educational attainment, number and custody of children) as correlates of 6-month recidivism among women incarcerated in rural jails. Baseline and 6-month follow-up data for 361 women were examined. Two logistic regression models tested IDU and psychosocial characteristics as correlates of 6-month recidivism, highlighting changes in correlates from baseline (Model 1) to follow-up (Model 2). Model 1 indicated number of children and partner status as significant correlates. Model 2 indicated number of children, employment, and IDU as significant correlates. Implications for desistence interventions were discussed.
Incarcerated people – including those who are parents – have a diverse set of criminogenic needs and responsivity issues, raising questions about how best to support them in prison. Using a sample of 2,120 adults in state prison, this study examined self-reported needs and programs of interest, assessed how these varied by parenting status and between mothers and fathers, and considered predictors of individuals’ interest in parenting services. Participants most frequently reported needs related to negative peer influences, substance use, and housing; meanwhile employment and education programs received the most interest. Parents were more likely than non-parents to express needs regarding family relationships; mothers self-identified substance use and mental health treatment, whereas fathers more often called for employment programming. Being younger, a mother, or a parent of color, as well as having younger children and contact during prison, were associated with increased odds of expressing interest in parenting programs. These findings inform decisions around prison programming that better fits individuals’ self-identified needs.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics estimates that approximately 1 in every 50 youth in the U.S. had a parent in State or Federal prison in 1999. Studies of children of incarcerated parents suggest that these youth are at risk for experiencing emotional and behavioral problems. Using a sample of 258 adolescents receiving routine mental health services, this study explored: (1) differences in demographic characteristics, lifetime exposure to risk factors, recent stressful life experiences, and clinical profiles of adolescents with and without a history of parental incarceration; and (2) the effect of parental incarceration relative to other risk factors on levels of emotional and behavioral problems and treatment outcomes. Nearly half (43%) of the youth studied had experienced the incarceration of one or both parents. Youth who experienced parental incarceration had been exposed to significantly more risk factors during their lifetimes including parental substance abuse, extreme poverty, and abuse or neglect. They were more likely than other treated youth to present with attention-deficit/hyperactivity and conduct disorders and less likely to have major depression. Findings provide preliminary evidence that parental incarceration may have a discrete negative effect on certain outcomes of treatment.
The parenting roles and responsibilities of incarcerated men have not traditionally been considered an important public concern. The impact of criminal justice policies and practices on family functioning has rarely been addressed by policy makers or family scholars and men's family obligations have not been a a priority for the individuals responsible for the safety and security of correctional institutions. Similarly, and with few exceptions, fathers in prison have been out of sight and out of mind of community organizations concerned with family life and children's wellbeing. Several recent developments challenge this historical approach to handling parental incarceration and responsible fatherhood initiatives involving incarcerated fathers are being promoted. This article examines the individual and societal issues that must be addressed if responsible fatherhood among incarcerated men is to become a serious social goal. It presents an overview of the complex family roles and relationships of incarcerated men and describes ways in which individual situations and family preferences affect their ability to function as parents. Analyses of prison location strategies and communication regulations and post-release environment are used to show how public policies influence and shape family relationships and responsible fatherhood. The article concludes with an agenda for research to guide informed and human policy decisions.
Incarcerated mothers at a maximum security prison (N = 362) participated in a study of the relationship between parenting stress, measured by a modification of the R. R. Abidin (1995) Parenting Stress Index, and adjustment, assessed by the L. Derogatis (1993) Brief Symptom Inventory and institutional records of misconduct. Stress associated with limited contact with children was related to higher levels of anxiety, depression, and somatization. Stress concerning visitation was significantly related to anxiety. Stress concerning competence as a parent was associated with elevated anxiety and depressive symptoms as well as with increased institutional misconduct. Incarcerated women experience considerable distress related to parenting, manifest in psychological and behavioral adjustment.
Researchers conducted a series of open-ended semistructured interviews with 25 incarcerated men and women who received substance abuse treatment while their children were being cared for by relatives. Research questions were developed on the basis of the gaps in knowledge identified in the available data on addicted incarcerated parents whose children are in kinship care. Respondents in this study were asked questions designed to explore issues such as parent-child bonding, relationships with caregivers, and the impact of drug abuse and incarceration on the family. Results of this study indicate that there is a need for a multidisciplinary, wraparound approach to designing services for affected parents, children, and caregivers.